All-singing, all-dancing celebration

of 100 years at village hall

SHAWFORD vi1lage hall's centenary show commenced with a medley of melodic, mellifluous music from the voices of the Compton School Choir. The Heathcote Players, playfully playing a plausible play by a pedagogue on a parchment palimpsest ending with a plaudit. By far the most polychromatic performance was from a troupe of ladies (of a certain age who ought to know better) The Paintstrippers were a tantalising tangle of tempting, tangential, tenacious tappers with thematic thrasonical, transcendental technique and tasty, translucent, turquoise tarty trousseaux.

Strategically straggling the interval, the stoic Stauntons sang and stole the show with style, stature and stamina, strutting off to a standing ovation. As if by accident, Compton Capers created acrobatics with few accoutrements but with acuity and acclamation. Reeves and Compton Women's Institute led a jolly jaunt to a jamboree in Jerusalem, where the audience was taught to make jam and much else beginning with "J". A clever dance followed by a cheeky clan of Compton Cloggers clad scantily in classic clothes and performed with clamourous clarity and climactic clicking.

Vegetables were the vessel for the Horticultural Society's playwright and producer, the versatile Jones, Prince of Whales, the velvet- voiced vehicle for vengeance and venom. John West won warm waves of wild wolf whistles for his witty. wondrous delivery of Albert and the Lion. Completing the programme was community compositions, which were uncompromisingly comprehensive and compulsive and created commodious companionship encompassing the complex yet composite compliment led by the incomparable Mr Mike Gordon at the ivories.

The biggest applause was given to Miss Janet West, who conceived, created. produced and directed the show and also found time to perform the star turn - a solo performance of the well-loved favourite, Hold your hand out, you naughty boy. Compere Mr Paul Murray's allegorical alliteration was an alliance of allogamy - allegedly. The entire cast received a tumultuous ovation and several curtain calls. The few folk who were at the opening celebrations in 1897 all thought that the original New Time Music Hall was nothing like as good as this one! PR